FEMA hurricane centers in Texas shut down

JUAN A. LOZANO

Published 7:00 pm, Friday, April 14, 2006

Associated Press Writer

Federal Emergency Management Agency employee Daniel Nguyen could easily identify with the few Hurricane Katrina evacuees who filtered through the agency's disaster recovery center in Houston on Saturday, its last day of operation.

Nguyen, who has been helping run the center's computer system since being hired in November, was also an evacuee, forced by floodwaters in New Orleans to relocate to Houston with his family.

After realizing he would have to stay here for quite some time, Nguyen posted his resume on various Internet job sites, as well as with the Texas Workforce Commission. He found and applied for the FEMA job and with his experience running a computer network for a New Orleans riverboat casino, Nguyen was hired.

"I really enjoy this job. Sometimes I see my friends from New Orleans," said Nguyen, 31, whose father first immigrated to Louisiana from Vietnam in 1981. "Because I have the same problems, I understand the evacuees' problems."

Nguyen and other employees at the center _ the largest such facility ever run by FEMA _ shut it down Saturday afternoon.

It was one of five disaster recovery centers remaining in Texas that were closed. The others were in Beaumont, Dallas, Orange and San Antonio. At one time there were 27 such centers around the state.

"We think we've accomplished most of what we set out to do and now it's time to turn it over to the volunteer agencies and they will continue to help the evacuees and be just as committed as we've been in these seven months," said FEMA spokeswoman Opal Jackson.

The Houston FEMA center, which opened last September, was located inside a cavernous former supermarket and housed representatives from more than 90 federal, state and local agencies, as well as nonprofit groups.

Serving as a one-stop aid center, people got help with such things as housing and medical needs. About 500 people worked there at its peak. On Saturday there were 38 employees and most of the center was empty of the tables and other equipment that was once inside.

On its busiest day, the center served more than 8,500 people. By the start of this past week, it was down to a few hundred.

"In looking back on those days when we had thousands coming through and now we're down to a few hundred a day, I feel like we've done a good job," Jackson said.

During the past six months, nearly 420,000 households have visited FEMA's 44 recovery centers around the country related to the two hurricanes. The Houston center handled more than 188,000 households through March 31. The Dallas center was the second-busiest in Texas, processing more than 50,000 households.

Lois Satcher, 59, a New Orleans resident who was one of the few evacuees at center on Saturday, said she was grateful the facility has provided so much help to individuals like herself.

But she had some concerns it was shutting down.

"It's always good you can have an office you can come to. Of course I wish this place was open for things that come up in the future," she said.

Jackson said evacuees can still contact FEMA by calling 1-800-621-3362 or get help from local aid agencies by calling 211. She said the recovery centers are not permanent and at some point, they shut down.

"As in all disasters, we transition to the local agencies," she said. "We've helped a lot of people and we will continue to help them even after we close the doors today."

While his parents have returned to New Orleans, Nguyen said he is looking forward to remaining in Houston and building a new life with his wife and 6-year-old daughter.

"Tomorrow is better than yesterday," he said. "I don't feel really bad or anything because time goes fast and heals everything."